The Nihon Review - Anime Reviews & Editorials

Synopsis: Makoto Itou gets a crush on Kotonoha Katsura, a girl who takes the same train as him. With the help of his close friend Sekai Saionji, the girl who sits next to him in class, he successfully confesses and starts going out with Katsura. Unbeknown to Makoto and Katsura, Sekai harbors secret feelings toward Makoto.

The HighlightsStory: A little hard to swallow at times.Characters: Very well fleshed out.First Half: Slow and unimpressive.Second Half: Unbelievable turn around.

As far as I’m concerned School Days can be broken up into two completely different series. You have the first half which is your run of the mill romance anime. And then you have the second half, which takes a huge turn towards the more serious end of the spectrum.

The first half of the series plays out as your typical romance anime, filled with fluff and awkward moments, and is honestly a big turn off. The characters are your stereotypical couple, the nice but slightly perverted male lead, the shy large chested love interest, and the energetic friend who wants to be more than just friends. None of the characters break any molds, but its their development throughout the series that makes these characters so memorable.

The second half is where the show takes a step to the next level. The drama gets more real, the characters become multi-dimensional, and the story take a very dark turn. The ending itself is one of the most surprising and eye opening in recent history, and is really something that can’t be missed.

Just to warn you though, the series was based on a popular Japanese eroge, so if you’ve played the game or have had the ending spoiled for you, the entire series is basically ruined, as the tension through the last few episodes is lifted, and the first few episodes aren’t really worth anything except to set up the later story and introduce the characters. So, if you already know whats going to happen the series isn’t really worth it, but if you haven’t its definitely worth it to check out School Days. The first few episodes can be a hassle to get through, but the overall experience is worth it. Trust me.